Fuel cell hybrid taxi unveiled in London
I n the UK, a consortium including PEM fuel cell developer Intelligent Energy has unveiled a full performance, zeroemissions fuel cell hybrid London taxi. The vehicle -developed with Lotus Engineering, LTI Vehicles and TRW Conekt, with funding from the government's Technology Strategy Board -is the first of a small fleet of 'green' London black cabs being readied for the 2012 Olympic Games.
The Fuel Cell Black Cab is powered by an Intelligent Energy hydrogen fuel cell system hybridized with lithium polymer batteries. This allows the vehicle to operate for a full day without refueling. Capable of achieving a top speed of over 80 mph (130 km/h), it has a range of more than 250 miles (400 km) on a full tank of hydrogen, and can be refueled in about five minutes.
'The black cab is a much loved London icon, but it is also a significant source of pollution, especially in the center of the city,' says Kit Malthouse, London's deputy mayor for policing and also chair of the London Hydrogen Partnership. 'This prototype Fuel Cell Black Cab, which emits only water from its tailpipe, is an exciting glimpse of how hydrogen technology could soon play a vital role in cleaning up air quality for urban dwellers.'
The Fuel Cell Hybrid Taxi is presently undergoing track and road-testing prior to wider deployment. The Technology Strategy Board provided just under Β£5.5 million (US$8.2m) towards a program to develop and embed fuel cell hybrid technology into the London black cab, as the consortium takes the first steps towards applying this technology in new markets. Later this year, Transport for London will start operating five hydrogen fuel cell hybrid buses [FCB, June 2010].
For the Fuel Cell Black Cab unveiled at City Hall, Lotus Engineering has packaged the full propulsion system, including the fuel cell engine, and has designed control systems to optimize the performance of both the fuel cell and electric drive system. TRW Conekt led the safety analysis program, including braking and steering systems, and LTI has provided donor vehicles to assist with the structural modifications to the taxi chassis. The Intelligent Energy PEM fuel cell system has been integrated into the most recent LTI TX4 design, and fits in to the vehicle without intrusion into its internal or luggage space.